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[Announcer] (0:00 - 0:18) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com.

Our topic is: "What Was the Message of Jesus After His Resurrection?" Here's Rick and Jonathan.

[Rick] (0:19 - 1:43) Welcome, everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years.

Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

JONATHAN:

Matthew 28:9–10: "And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid; go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me." RICK:

When we think about it, the greatest events in the Bible are the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. By Jesus becoming a man and being faithful to the ministry that God had given him, he paved the way for the redemption of all humanity.

By voluntarily giving up his human life and submitting to crucifixion, he literally paid the price for that redemption. By being raised from the dead by God, Jesus sealed the destiny of the future resurrection of all humanity and opened the door for God's kingdom to come on earth! This points to Jesus' resurrection as the most awe-inspiring marker in God's eternal plan.

Now the question is: What did Jesus tell us about this event? What did our resurrected Lord build as a foundation for God's plan to continue developing? In this episode, we're just going to look at Jesus' first Resurrection Day messages--

the Resurrection Day messages on that Resurrection Sunday.

[Jonathan] (1:43 - 2:25) We begin tracing Jesus' resurrection message by first visiting the empty tomb that Sunday morning. Mark 16:1-5: "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices so that they might come and anoint him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

They were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed."

[Rick] (2:25 - 2:41) Now look, this young man was an angel. It would have been just absolutely amazing to just see an angel. But no, they're not just going to see the angel.

This angel is going to address them directly. Let's look at Matthew 28:5-8:

[Jonathan] (2:41 - 3:07) "The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid (or fear not); for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying."

Mark 16:7-8 continues with the narrative: "But go, tell his disciples and Peter, he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."

[Rick] (3:07 - 4:23) It says "go," and Matthew adds "quickly." It's "go quickly." Then you have the sense of "tell his disciples and Peter."

There is a very comprehensive message given by this angel that's speaking to these women. It says "do not be afraid." Don't be overly alarmed.

Don't be out of sorts. Something is in place. We've got to ask ourselves, all right, why did the angel begin with "Fear not?"

Here's the message behind "fear not." What is about to be proclaimed, or what is happening right now, is from God, and it is for you-- from God, for you.

Have faith, have courage, have peace, for you are protected and loved in all these things. That is what "fear not" was. These women would divide and conquer as the angel had instructed.

Remember he said go "tell his disciples and Peter." Mary Magdalene went to seek out Peter--one person to find one person, that makes sense--while the other women were to seek out the other disciples. We're going to suggest--and there's many ways of looking at the resurrection story from the different Gospels--but we're going to suggest that Mary Magdalene responded with immediacy and left first and therefore wasn't present for Jesus' appearance to the other women that happened just after this. Let's look at Mary leaving in John 20:2:

[Jonathan] (4:23 - 4:27) "So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

Wait a minute! I have a question. Why did Mary not tell Peter what the angel told her to say? Why the disconnect?

[Rick] (4:46 - 5:56) That's a really good question because you hear from the angel, You go run to tell Peter, and you're not giving the whole message, so why would she not? I think, Jonathan, I think the answer is that she had such extreme focus going to the tomb to take care of the body of the Lord, and when the body wasn't there, she panicked.

I don't think she could see beyond the panic of, where's his body? We need to honor and reverence his body! Where is it?

We need to find his body! What's happening here? This isn't right, and she can't get out of that.

That's the human nature. She had this extreme focus, and it was overwhelming to her to see these things, so she goes and tells Peter that they've taken away the Lord. I just don't know.

All I know is he wasn't there, even though she was told more than that. Have we ever had that happen? Come on.

Somebody tells you something, and it's right over your head. That's kind of where we are with that. With Mary running off to tell Peter, Jesus would first appear to the other women.

Here's where his resurrection message begins. Let's look at Matthew 28:9-10:

[Jonathan] (5:57 - 6:15) "And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid (or fear not); go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me."

How dramatic was that?

[Rick] (6:15 - 6:49) It is, and Jesus says exactly what the angel said. "Fear not!" "Do not be afraid."

Let's think about this "fear not." Let's think about the angel putting the women at ease as best as he could, and then Jesus putting the women at ease as best as he could, because you're dealing with this overwhelming emotion at the trauma of this experience, and the message is, "fear not!" You don't need to be afraid.

As we begin to put this together, let's look at the beginning of Jesus' resurrection messages.

[Jonathan] (6:49 - 7:11) "Fear not!" Just as the angel said to the women inside the tomb, Jesus repeated these calming words of great encouragement: "Fear not!"

What is about to proclaimed or what is happening right now is from God, and it is for you. "Fear not" means take a breath, observe, and reset.

[Rick] (7:12 - 7:55) Take a breath, observe, and reset. That captures what the angel and what Jesus were doing, putting things in order. Now let's go a little further.

We've got that, okay, take a breath. Now let's think about Jesus' command, because he told them to do something after he said "fear not." Let's think about his command to take the word of his resurrection to his brethren.

Jesus had never directly called his disciples his "brethren" before this. Never directly done that. The night before his crucifixion, he had addressed them as "friends."

Let's go back to the night before his crucifixion. Let's go to John 15:13-15:

[Jonathan] (8:20 - 8:45) "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

Let's walk through this elevation of status.

As Jews, the disciples were servants of God before Jesus was on the scene. It was huge to go from that relationship to becoming a disciple of Messiah, the Son of God. Next, being called "friends" is heartfelt and very special.

But then to be called "brethren?" We're talking about family, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and children of God Almighty.

[Rick] (8:45 - 9:19) You're right, Jesus changes things in his ministry, and at this point now, after his resurrection, there's another change and it's very significant. With the friendship aspect--we saw that friendship aspect when Jesus had called them friends, and then they went into the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus went to pray, and he took Peter, James, and John with them. That's what you do with your friends.

But now, it's brethren. Now it's brethren. There's a very strong sense of--like you said "elevation" is a great word--to put this in order.

Jesus' Resurrection Message here:

[Jonathan] (9:19 - 9:27) Because I am risen, your world has changed. I now see you as my brethren, whereas before you were my disciples.

[Rick] (9:27 - 9:38) There is a change in status. Now next, let's look at the responsibility that these women were given to pass on the privilege of fellowship with him to others.

[Jonathan] (9:38 - 9:44) The message? "Take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see me."

[Rick] (9:44 - 10:12) That's the message. Take word that they need to go to Galilee. The choice of Galilee-- why Galilee?

It was important because these new and miraculous unfamiliar events would begin to be processed in their home, where they had a natural comfort. Remember, it was in Galilee that Jesus had called them and it's in Galilee that Jesus had also told them about all of these events. Let's look at Matthew 17:22-23:

[Jonathan] (10:13 - 10:39) "And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day. And they were deeply grieved." We see another disconnect that took place before Jesus's crucifixion.

The disciples were told several times by Jesus that he would die and be raised. Why didn't they get it?

[Rick] (10:39 - 11:21) That's important because he told them, I think, three different times, and it was very specific especially in this, talking about being raised on the third day. I mean, very, very, very clear. You think, why didn't they get it?

Well, it's a difficult thing to understand when you're in the middle of something else. When something takes a left turn and you absolutely know you were supposed to go right and now you're in unfamiliar territory, you don't remember everything. You're like, wait a minute, I've got to figure out where I am.

I think that's what had happened to them. We'll go a little further with that in a little bit, but they were out of sorts because they were out of the realm of familiarity. That's really what's happening here.

With this message needing to be delivered, what is Jesus's Resurrection Message?

[Jonathan] (11:21 - 11:30) Because I am risen, I will meet you where you live just as I originally met you where you live, to reset your faith and confidence in God's plan.

[Rick] (11:30 - 11:54) You see how clearly and calmly and in such a straightforward manner, Jesus makes what seems impossible able to be handled by putting it in order step by step. There is such a simplicity and wisdom in how Jesus first introduced himself to a select group of his followers on that resurrection morning.

[Jonathan] (11:55 - 12:02) The magnitude and privilege of being the first to see the risen Lord is amazing. What was the pattern Jesus was setting?

[Rick] (12:03 - 12:33) The pattern Jesus set with this initial message to these faithful women was simple and it was clear. His communication would always be thrilling, calming, inclusive and task-driven, as his mission--and therefore the mission of his followers-

-was now taking on a whole new level. There's this elevation that you'd mentioned before.

All of these Resurrection Messages from Jesus would follow this same loving pattern.

[Jonathan] (12:34 - 12:44) Next, he will appear to Mary Magdalene, who had diligently run off to find the Apostle Peter after the angel had told them that Jesus was risen and instructed them to spread the word.

[Rick] (12:45 - 13:15) We're going to drop in on Mary Magdalene's experience when she came back to the tomb a second time. Remember, she ran to get Peter and John and they take off to the tomb and she can't keep up with them. They're going to get there and they're going to do their thing at the tomb, and then they're going to leave. Then she's going to come after they've left.

She arrives at the tomb now, and she peers into the tomb, and guess what? Two angels spoke with her. Let's go to John 20:13-15:

[Jonathan] (13:15 - 13:34) "And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"

[Rick] (13:35 - 14:40) Mary hears from the angels "why are you weeping?" Then she turns around, and it's Jesus. She doesn't know it, and he says the same thing.

"...Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" What's happening here?

She's being reassured by the angels. Then she notices the guy behind her, this guy, and she turns, and he speaks to her. Jesus addresses both issues that the angels had addressed in both of her visits to the tomb.

First, Jesus addressed the emotional grief that was overwhelming her-

- why are you crying-- just as the angels had.

Then he asked who she was seeking, because that's what is on her mind. She has one thing in her mind. Where is Jesus?

Where is the body of Jesus? I need to find the body of Jesus. There's nothing else important in life right now.

I need to find Jesus' body. She was focused on her mission of finding and caring for the body of her Lord. What a beautiful reverence and discipline and devotion she shows us here.

Let's go back to John 20, and let's finish verse 15:

[Jonathan] (14:41 - 14:54) "...Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Question: Did Mary have the strength on her own to carry a body?

[Rick] (14:55 - 14:59) You know, I don't think she even cared... Likely didn't. Didn't matter to her, though, did it?

[Jonathan] (15:00 - 15:00) No.

[Rick] (15:00 - 15:46) She's going to find a way, because that's the only thing that's important to her. That's such a powerful lesson for us here.

Mary's heart is full of grief, and yet her heart is exactly, precisely in the right place. She's had her grief recognized and responded to, but she's not yet able to process the reality that is standing before her. She can't see, literally, what's right in front of her.

Jesus steps up, as he always does. He's about to dissolve her grief and replace it with incomprehensible joy and clarity. I love this next verse, John 20:16:

[Jonathan] (15:47 - 15:53) "Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means, Teacher)."

[Rick] (15:54 - 16:53) Jesus spoke one word. He spoke one word. He just said her name the way that he says her name.

All of a sudden, all that weighed her down was immediately lifted right off of her shoulders. Her response is that she in turn spoke one word that signified her embrace of the powerful reality standing right before her. "Rabboni!"

This is a very reverential description of teacher. She got it. It made sense.

Jonathan, all of a sudden, the grief? What grief? Sorrow?

What sorrow? You've now been shown what you're looking for, and it's bigger and better than you could have possibly imagined. She was so focused, and yet this is so powerful, what she was given.

Such a powerful relief here. Let's look at Jesus' Resurrection Message here to Mary:

[Jonathan] (16:53 - 17:24) Mary was not able to see the circumstances as evidence of Jesus' resurrection, as she was blinded by her deep grief and loss and blinded by her mission. With ONE WORD, Jesus changed that loss into love, joy, and reverence. All Mary had to do was listen!

Let us realize how easily our personal emotions and perceptions can blind our eyes from seeing the magnitude of God's blessing that may be standing right before us!

[Rick] (17:24 - 18:13) What a powerful picture this gives us. If we can put ourselves in Mary's place, being so preoccupied. If you've taken this body somewhere, tell me where it is.

I will go get it. I just have to finish this. He just looks at her, and I imagine there's that smile when he says, Mary, and all of a sudden it's like she changes.

Because I don't have to. He's right here, and he's alive, just like the angel said. It is such a powerful, powerful picture for us to capture.

That's not the only message for Mary, though. Oh, no, no. There's much more now.

Now that she sees who he is, Jesus now presents her with a very different mission than what she had come to the tomb with originally. Let's go to John 20:17. She's now got work to do.

[Jonathan] (18:13 - 18:27) "Jesus said to her, Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren (again, he said brethren), and say to them, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, and my God and your God."

[Rick] (18:27 - 18:41) He is giving her a multi-level group of responsibilities that need to be handled. There are several powerful messages here. Let's get started.

Let's go through these.

[Jonathan] (18:42 - 18:43) "Stop clinging to me..."

[Rick] (18:44 - 18:58) Don't hold on to me now.

Jesus was teaching her that the urgency of the mission was to outweigh the emotions of the moment. Let me say that again. The urgency of the mission was to outweigh the emotions of the moment.

[Jonathan] (18:59 - 19:01) "...I have not yet ascended to the Father..."

[Rick] (19:02 - 19:23) Jesus' message here was extraordinary as he told her that there was no time to lose because he was preparing his followers to embrace his coming heavenly reward. Things had changed, but boy, things were going to change in a bigger way, and there was a time limit.

He's saying, I have not yet finished what these changes are bringing.

[Jonathan] (19:24 - 19:26) Then he said, "...go to my brethren..."

[Rick] (19:26 - 19:45) Again, he highlights the importance of recognizing his disciples as his brethren.

This reinforces that Jesus' resurrection was the first step to introduce a new age. It reinforces that things were now very different.

[Jonathan] (19:45 - 19:52) Lastly he said, "...say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God."

[Rick] (19:53 - 20:31) Now this is powerful! These descriptions, "my Father and your Father, my God and your God," these descriptions enhance and explain what Jesus meant by "brethren." He's saying we have the same Father as Jesus.

We have the same Father, and that Father is the all-powerful God. This is big! This is a transformation that nobody had ever, ever been able to get their arms around.

Let's go back as we look at these things that he told to Mary, and just look at some of the things that happened before his crucifixion. Remember the night before crucifixion, Jesus spoke about HIS Father in John 14:2-3:

[Jonathan] (20:31 - 20:47) "In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

[Rick] (20:48 - 21:20) I go to my Father's house "to prepare a place for you." Now he's talking about brethren. It's not just HIS Father's house, it's going to be THEIR Father's house.

That's the result of resurrection. The magnitude of his announcing this coming ascension "to my Father AND your Father" cannot be overstated! It's a huge, huge thing.

Jonathan, he laid the groundwork for this way back earlier in his ministry when the disciples said, Lord, teach us to pray. What were the first two words of that prayer?

[Jonathan] (21:22 - 21:28) "Our Father..."

[Rick] (21:29 - 21:32) They did not yet understand when he taught them, but now it's coming clear. This is the power of Jesus' resurrection. Let's look at his Resurrection Messages here:

[Jonathan] (21:32 - 21:35) It is clearly profound Jesus trusted Mary with these important aspects of his resurrection message.

He spoke when she could not grasp her surroundings so she could understand. He gave her a mission to find his brethren to instruct and enlighten them.

Am I watching and am I listening for Jesus' direction? Do I enthusiastically relay what I have been given to encourage our brotherhood?

[Rick] (22:01 - 22:17) We look at this and we see that she is given a whole new set of jobs.

You know what, Jonathan, the job she originally came to the tomb for, she probably didn't even think about it. What did I come here for? Because there's so much more power in where Jesus was directing her.

[Jonathan] (22:17 - 22:44) This makes me question, what is my mission in Christ? Am I willing to walk where God wants me to go? Am I willing to say what he wants me to say?

Am I willing to do what he wants me to do? Am I willing to back away from what he wants me to back away from? When my understanding of my mission changes, am I willing to change my mind?

Am I focused on his direction in my life?

[Rick] (22:45 - 23:21) Those are some very powerful questions that help us to relate to the transformation that Mary made in a moment when she was shown what she now had to do. She dropped everything from before, and she ran toward the next mission that Jesus himself had given to her! What powerful messaging.

The sensitivity that Jesus displayed with Mary, it's overwhelming. You can just feel the love and compassion that was pouring out of him!

[Jonathan] (23:21 - 23:31) With the magnificence and excitement of Jesus appearing these two times, we would think that everyone else would be overjoyed with this news! Were they?

[Rick] (23:31 - 24:01) Well, let's think about this, okay? Let's put this in perspective, shall we? There were eleven apostles and many followers who had been scattered after the crucifixion.

Yet, Jesus saw fit to reveal himself to this small group of women. Now on the surface, this might not make sense until we realize--and here's the thing--that Jesus always reveals himself to those who actively seek him out with great reverence and great humility.

[Jonathan] (24:02 - 24:04) Rick, where were the apostles?

[Rick] (24:04 - 24:28) They were hiding. They were hiding because the experience was so overwhelming. They didn't know what was going to happen. Jesus is dead, they're probably going to hunt us down, so they're hiding.

That's where they were. Now we've got to ask ourselves, how were these incredible, remarkable messages received from these women to all of these apostles and followers? Let's look at Luke 24:10-11:

[Jonathan] (24:29 - 24:44) "Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them." Wait, Rick, here's another disconnect.

[Rick] (24:45 - 24:45) Yes.

[Jonathan] (24:45 - 24:50) Why didn't they believe the women and the angels' message? What was their disconnect?

[Rick] (24:51 - 26:26) Well, first of all, they're hiding. Secondly, they have been utterly traumatized. You're following Jesus, and all of a sudden, late at night, Judas shows up with a mob, takes him prisoner. For what?

No reason. Through the night, he goes through trials, he's whipped, he's questioned, and then he's on trial before Pilate, and then before you know it he's hanging on the cross, and he's writhing in pain and he's up there for six hours, and then he dies and he's buried. You're going, what just happened?

To say, oh, he's risen, everything's great. It's like, wait, I can't even begin to get my head around all of the trauma that I was dealing with. That's a very human thing.

We can say, well, the answer is here, but I'm overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed with what I'm dealing with. I think that the trauma was just overwhelming.

Now here's the thing. Jesus knew that they weren't going to be able to respond, so he's always on it, he's always ahead of the curve. He wouldn't miss a moment, because he already knew they're going to doubt, because he told them that they would.

The two verses later in Luke, just two verses later, Jesus will address this issue himself, and boy, when we go through this, this is a beautiful introduction into seeing the risen Lord in a whole different way. This is on the road to Emmaus. Let's look at Luke 24:13-15.

Jonathan, this is all on the same day.

[Jonathan] (26:26 - 26:44) "And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached and began traveling with them."

[Rick] (26:45 - 27:19) They're about their business, trying to figure out their trauma. They're taking a seven-mile walk to Emmaus, and this guy shows up. Well, so they're engaged in this very, very fervent discussion.

I'm sure it's very passionate about trying to figure out what happened. What did you hear, and this is what I heard, and I don't understand, and what are we going to do, and how do we process this? They're going through, they're trying to comprehend their circumstances.

Jesus appeared to show them exactly the answers that they were seeking. This next verse is very significant, Luke 24:16:

[Jonathan] (27:27 - 27:37) "But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him."

The word "prevented" here means they were held back from recognizing Jesus.

[Rick] (27:38 - 28:02) This is important, because what's about to happen is they don't see him as Jesus, they see him as a stranger. This becomes the setting the table for showing them the Messiah, showing them the risen Lord in a whole different way than they would have been able to comprehend if they could recognize him right up front. Let's see how Jesus unfolds this. Now Jesus obviously is responsible for keeping their eyes from recognizing him.

Let's go to the next verse, Luke 24:17:

[Jonathan] (28:11 - 28:17) "And he (Jesus) said to them, What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking? And they stood still, looking sad."

This word "sad" means "a gloomy or mournful countenance."

[Rick] (28:17 - 28:57) It's interesting. They've got this mournful sense to them, and they stopped dead in their tracks. Jesus asked them, so what are you talking about? They just stop, and they've got this overwhelming sadness and they want to talk with this stranger.

Jesus knew their state of mind; he knew what it would be. Now imagine the joy in the heart of Jesus at appearing to these faithful followers and preparing to slowly and systematically reveal all that he had promised them before his crucifixion. They don't know who he is, they have no idea.

What he does is, he comes up and he asks a question, so what are you talking about? This begins to open the door. Let's go to Luke 24:18:

[Jonathan] (29:01 - 29:10) "One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"

[Rick] (29:10 - 29:33) Sir, where have you been? Have you not talked to anybody in the last several days? It's interesting, this Cleopas, Adam Clark tells us that this Cleopas is the same as Alphaeus, father of the Apostle James. There's a very strong connection here, discipleship-wise.

As a matter of fact, when we look at John--let's take a detour for a moment--let's look at John 19:25 to see some of that connection unfold:

[Jonathan] (29:33 - 29:51) "Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." Think of all that Cleopas would have known about the crucifixion due to his wife being at the cross.

[Rick] (29:51 - 30:27) She was at the cross, she was there. He would have been filled in on the things that he himself didn't see. Cleopas is just spilling all of this now.

He says, are you the only one who doesn't know what's going on? Cleopas's response to Jesus showed the social and political magnitude of the crucifixion. Everybody knew about it.

There was no social media but there was personal media. Everybody knew what was happening. Jesus provokes it further.

Let's go to Luke 24:19-24:

[Jonathan] (30:27 - 30:39) "And he (Jesus) said to them, What things? And they said to him, The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a mighty prophet in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people."

[Rick] (30:39 - 31:44) You have this question. Jesus asks another question. First, it's, so what are you talking about?

The things with Jesus the Nazarene, what things? Jesus is pulling it out of them. He's provoking them.

He's opened the door to listen. By doing that, he'd given these the privilege of not only being heard, but of hearing themselves express what was in their hearts and minds. Jonathan, that's an important principle.

He gives them the opportunity to tell their story, but in telling their story, you're not only telling it to the person who's listening, but you're saying it out loud and you're hearing yourself say it. Both of those things are very important, and that's what Jesus is drawing out of them. This would be a powerful basis for Jesus to expand their hearts and minds to an entirely new level.

He asked, "What things?" Their answer had begun with the very highest respect for Jesus. Well, Jesus the Nazarene, the prophet; don't you understand? Don't you know?

Now their answer would continue with the sad and unjust actions of those responsible for his crucifixion, Luke 24:20:

[Jonathan] (31:45 - 31:57) "...and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death, and crucified him." They got right to the point, sadly repeating the unjust and horrible events of the last few days.

[Rick] (31:57 - 32:29) They didn't pull any punches. "The chief priests and OUR rulers delivered him to the sentence of death." They handed him over to Rome.

It was a very clear understanding of what had actually happened. You've got this horrible thing. They start out, Jesus, the prophet, and then they talk about being turned over to the sentence of death.

Next, their narrative shifted from the horror of the experience to their own disappointment, to their own sadness. Let's look at Luke 24:21:

[Jonathan] (32:29 - 32:39) "But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened."

[Rick] (32:39 - 33:05) We are hoping for redemption through him. It just, look, everything was lined up, and it's been three days. Now the question is, why did they mention the three days?

Were they potentially clinging to what Jesus had revealed before his crucifixion? As a small strand of hope, Jesus mentioned something about three days. Let's go back to one of those other mentions back in Matthew 20:17-19:

[Jonathan] (33:30 - 33:33) "As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way he said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised up."

[Rick] (33:33 - 34:12) There's a lot of detail in that description. Every single thing that that description held came true. Maybe they're thinking, he mentioned three days, and it's been three days, and they're trying to put it all together.

I mean, Jonathan, as they're talking about this, they went from the honor of Jesus to the horror of the circumstance to their own disappointment, and they just keep on going. They want this stranger, whoever this guy is who caught up to them on the road to Emmaus, they want him to know everything. Now they even deliver to him the really mysterious part that really has got them puzzled.

This is Luke 24:22-24:

[Jonathan] (34:12 - 34:32) "... But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find his body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women also had said; but him they did not see."

[Rick] (34:33 - 35:40) Now they're relaying what the women said, sort of, okay? They're relaying part of what the women said. Look, we know that after Peter and John went to the tomb, the scriptures describe Peter as being astonished and John as believing.

What happened here? Just a thought. Why didn't they mention that the women saw Jesus?

Why wasn't that mentioned in this piece? You know, it's hard to say. Just a thought here--

the fact that these two mentioned Peter and John did not see Jesus might indicate that they didn't report the women seeing him because surely Jesus would have appeared to Peter and John if he had been raised. I mean, come on, Peter and John. Who knows?

That's just a side thought. The point here is they are trying to put it all in place, and Jesus is letting them try by pulling the message out of them. "What things?"

Tell me about this. He's just giving them an opportunity to speak. In not answering up to this point, we have more of Jesus' Resurrection Message.

[Jonathan] (35:40 - 36:06) Up to this point in this conversation, all Jesus did was ask what was happening. He then listened. His resurrection message here was to give space for his brethren to work at putting the whole event in context so we could teach them.

When I am puzzled and disappointed in my experiences, am I willing to express my troubles? After all, Jesus is listening, whether I think about that or not.

[Rick] (36:07 - 36:29) You're right. You're right. Whether we think about it or not, he's listening.

Whether they thought about it or not, Jesus was listening to them in that very moment. Boy, are they going to be surprised. It's again obvious that Jesus's love for these two followers is overwhelming.

His listening ear would open the door for his teaching words.

[Jonathan] (36:29 - 36:33) How would Jesus take all that he was hearing and put it all in order?

[Rick] (36:34 - 37:08) Let's remember that by listening, Jesus had given these two disciples a powerful opportunity to see themselves in relation to the events unfolding around them. He allowed them to just see where they sat and where they fit into this whole big picture. After he let them tell their whole story, he would next plainly fill in the missing details that were needed to make sense of these unusual and life-changing events.

This is a remarkable way to communicate that Jesus is teaching us.

[Jonathan] (37:08 - 37:30) Jesus now teaches them, even though they still are not permitted to know who he is. Luke 24:25-26: "And he said to them, O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets had spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?"

[Rick] (37:30 - 38:01) He starts out kind of a surprising thing; "O foolish men..." Like, whoa, wait, wait, what? But here's what he's saying.

You foolish men, are you not in tune with the prophets of old in relation to the experiences of the Christ? Come on now, go back to your holy scriptures. Put this in order.

You talked about Jesus as a prophet. You should be able to see where he fits in the plan according to prophecy. Jesus then begins.

Let's look at Luke 24:27:

[Jonathan] (38:02 - 38:09) "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures."

[Rick] (38:10 - 38:22) What a teaching this must have been! I'm telling you, Jonathan, I would have loved to have been just walking along with my little notepad, taking notes on what he said.

[Jonathan] (38:22 - 39:20) Just two small examples of what Moses and the prophets said. Deuteronomy 18:15: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen,

you shall listen to him." This prophecy shows that Jesus was chosen from the line of David. Psalm 16:8-11:

"I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your holy one to undergo decay.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."

This prophecy, Rick, shows that the holy one's death and resurrection will take place with eternity to come.

[Rick] (39:21 - 39:54) Yes, and these are just two wonderful exercises to go through the Old Testament and just pull out all the prophecies that point to Jesus. It's staggering how many there are. They had miles to go.

He would have been enlightening them for quite some time, and here's another prophecy, and here's how this fits. It just would have been remarkable. He made good use of all the time that they journeyed together.

I imagine that he just talked right up until the point to where they got to their destination. Let's look at what happened then, Luke 24:28-29:

[Jonathan] (39:55 - 40:08) "And they approached the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going farther. But they urged him, saying, Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them."

[Rick] (40:08 - 40:52) So he stayed with them. Why? He stayed because they asked. This is another very strong principle to the call of Christ, to Jesus's Resurrection Day messages. This principle is straightforward.

The call does not force us. Rather, it draws us to God through Christ. In that drawing we want to see, we want to know, we want to understand.

This principle, Jesus didn't just introduce it here. This principle of encouraging us to ask was extended to Jesus's disciples during his ministry in some scriptures that many, many, many, many Christians often quote. Luke 11:9-10:

[Jonathan] (40:53 - 41:06) "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened."

[Rick] (41:06 - 42:08) You have that principle: Ask. You need to ask. You need to put yourself forward to find out so you can be blessed.

See, Jonathan, there's great blessing when we ask. Now again, they still don't know who he is, but they don't want him to leave because he has given them such hope, such clarity, such scriptural basis for finding their faith again. Jesus has done his work, and he's done it essentially invisibly.

He looks like a stranger, and this is why-- because by not revealing himself yet, they could focus on the prophecies. They could focus on all the things he was telling them.

Imagine if it was Jesus, they wouldn't have heard a word he said. But here, he's building the foundation. It's so powerful.

He's bringing these disciples to a condition of mind to accept what they could not yet see. Now it begins to unfold. Luke 24:30:

[Jonathan] (42:09 - 42:16) "When he had reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, he began giving it to them."

[Rick] (42:16 - 42:35) Now, his disciples were undoubtedly familiar with some unique, some tender, some attentive part of Jesus' demeanor in the blessing, the breaking of the bread, as they'd seen it before countless times personally and also in the great miracles. I mean, remember the feeding of the four thousand and the five thousand?

[Jonathan] (42:35 - 42:43) Yeah, for sure. They recognized him by his words, demeanor, tone, or all three. You know, today, we will call it a "light bulb moment."

[Rick] (42:43 - 42:58) Yes. Yeah. Like, what? Now they can see.

Now, after spending hours with this "stranger," now they see. Luke 24:31-32:

[Jonathan] (42:58 - 43:27) "Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?" His words were transformational.

Imagine the thrill of finally recognizing that the risen Lord Jesus is sitting at the table with you! They no longer had any more confusion. There was no more disconnect.

[Rick] (43:28 - 44:18) No, now it's connected and then he's gone. Should have taken a selfie with him, you know? You have this tremendous revealment, and it's built on a foundation of biblical truth.

See, that's the point. That's why Jesus did this. Here's the thing;

another lesson here. Jesus isn't revealed when people simply see him. He's revealed when those who are looking have a desire to know him and to know truth.

Remember, that was with Mary Magdalene. That's with these two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He shows them because they need to know, and they want to know, and they're drinking it in.

Okay, so they recognize him. It's Jesus, and he's gone. Now, what do we do?

Well, Luke 24:33:

[Jonathan] (44:19 - 44:23) "And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem..."

[Rick] (44:24 - 45:39) Their IMMEDIATE response upon hearing the words of scripture, of fitting the pieces of Jesus' crucifixion together and actually being in the presence of the risen Lord Jesus himself, their immediate response was to get up and go back to Jerusalem. They would walk that seven-mile journey again because what they had just experienced completely changed everything. It is such a powerful moment that they can't stay where they have arrived.

They're going to walk. It's evening. It's getting dark.

It's not necessarily the safest thing to do. No matter, we have to go back. We have to tell the others, this is the most amazing thing that's ever happened in our lives, and we need to spread the word.

You can see that they have this tremendous zeal that has been ignited, just like with the women, just like with Mary Magdalene. This tremendous zeal. Again, it's based on the foundation of scriptural truth.

They're equipped with prophecies having been revealed. They've been taught how to apply those prophecies. They've seen and heard Jesus in person.

They don't need any more. Let's tell everybody. Let's finish up with Luke 24:33-35:

[Jonathan] (45:40 - 45:56) "...and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon. They began to relate their experiences on the road and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread."

[Rick] (45:57 - 46:27) I love the way the scripture says that "The Lord has really risen!" It's like, yeah, remember what the women told you? It's really true! It really is!

They were right. They were right! We saw it with our own eyes.

You get this wonderment and this pouring out of relief and excitement and enthusiasm and God's grace and thankfulness and gratitude and providence. All of these things are falling into place. Jesus is alive!

Our mission is just beginning. That's really what it comes down to. Let's wrap this with Jesus' Resurrection Message:

[Jonathan] (46:27 - 47:00) Jesus had been raised. His personal messages to his brethren on that remarkable day focused them on several things. They were to be no longer fearful, no longer need to weep with grief and they could dissolve all disbelief.

They were to carry all these things forward to the brotherhood. Jesus' message that day was that prophecy was fulfilled and life for his followers and eventually the entire world was dramatically changed! Jesus was and is Lord!

[Rick] (47:00 - 48:03) The messages that Jesus began with on that first day of his resurrection, the beginning words were "fear not" and the ending gestures were, I am back and I have fulfilled prophecy. When we look at all of those things and we put them together, what we see is a dramatic, dramatic beginning to the unfolding of those forty days after his resurrection. He would appear several other times during the rest of those days to help put things in place.

He told them where to go and what to do so they could receive the holy spirit. Then the rest, that's where Christianity would begin. But the day that Jesus was raised, he gave us messages to show us everything that is so important.

Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. Welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com.

Coming up in our next episode: "Can I Inherit Immortality?"

Final Notes: copyright @2025 Christian Questions. In addition to this transcript, we provide comprehensive CQ Rewind Show Notes for every episode. They include every scripture quoted during the podcast, as well as graphics, illustrations and bonus material. Click the "CQ Rewind Show Notes" button near the audio player or sign up to receive these weekly at ChristianQuestions.com. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence. While we believe it to be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist.